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Anyone who has started
a business has his or her own rules and guidelines, so I
thought I would add to the memo with my own. My "rules" below
aren't just for those founding the companies, but for those who
are considering going to work for them, as well.

1. Don't start a company unless it's an
obsession and something you love.

2. If you have an exit strategy, it's not an
obsession.

3. Hire people who you think will love working
there.

4. Sales Cure All. Know how your company will
make money and how you will actually make sales.

5. Know your core competencies and focus on being great
at them. Pay up for people in your core competencies.
Get the best. Outside the core competencies, hire people that fit
your culture but aren't as expensive to pay.

6. An espresso machine? Are you kidding me?
Coffee is for closers. Sodas are free. Lunch is a chance to get
out of the office and talk. There are 24 hours in a day, and if
people like their jobs, they will find ways to use as much of it
as possible to do their jobs.

7. No offices. Open offices keep everyone in
tune with what is going on and keep the energy up. If an employee
is about privacy, show him or her how to use the lock on the
bathroom. There is nothing private in a startup. This is also a
good way to keep from hiring executives who cannot operate
successfully in a startup. My biggest fear was always hiring
someone who wanted to build an empire. If the person demands to
fly first class or to bring over a personal secretary, run away.
If an exec won't go on sales calls, run away. They are empire
builders and will pollute your company.

8. As far as technology, go with what you know.
That is always the most inexpensive way. If you know Apple, use
it. If you know Vista, ask yourself why, then use it. It's a
startup so there are just a few employees. Let people use what
they know.

9. Keep the organization flat. If you have
managers reporting to managers in a startup, you will fail. Once
you get beyond startup, if you have managers reporting to
managers, you will create politics.

10. Never buy swag. A sure sign of failure for a
startup is when someone sends me logo-embroidered polo shirts. If
your people are at shows and in public, it's okay to buy for your
own employees, but if you really think people are going to wear
your branded polo when they're out and about, you are mistaken
and have no idea how to spend your money.

11. Never hire a PR firm. A public relations
firm will call or email people in the publications you already
read, on the shows you already watch and at the websites you
already surf. Those people publish their emails. Whenever you
consume any information related to your field, get the email of
the person publishing it and send them a message introducing
yourself and the company. Their job is to find new stuff. They
will welcome hearing from the founder instead of some PR flack.
Once you establish communication with that person, make yourself
available to answer their questions about the industry and be a
source for them. If you are smart, they will use you.

12. Make the job fun for employees. Keep a pulse
on the stress levels and accomplishments of your people and
reward them. My first company, MicroSolutions, when we had a
record sales month, or someone did something special, I would
walk around handing out $100 bills to salespeople. At
Broadcast.com and MicroSolutions, we had a company shot. The
Kamikaze. We would take people to a bar every now and then and
buy one or ten for everyone. At MicroSolutions, more often than
not we had vendors cover the tab. Vendors always love a good
party.